Thursday, December 30, 2010

NFL regular season ends this weekend. It's do or die for a few teams on the proverbial playoff bubble. NFC's final playoff spot is up to Green Bay. Win and they're in while Giants and Bucs ponder what could have been a season to remember. Indianapolis wraps up the final AFC playoff spot with a win on Sunday.

Fantasy coaches need to pay close attention to NFL roster moves. A handful of teams will either be resting starters for playoff action or giving rookies a shot to earn their stripes. Vick may rest. Favre is probably out. Sanchez isn't 100%. Giants, Colts and other squads facing game time injury decisions. Select your fantasy starters closely.

Week 16 picks took a step backwards after a strong second half. Only six correct drops the season total to 130-103. Here we go. NFL final weekend. (Note: all games played on Sunday. No Thursday, Saturday or Monday games).

Monday, December 27, 2010

1994 Montreal Expos. The team time forgot. One of the 1990's best teams had their dreams crushed by the '94-'95 players strike. Baseball's eighth work stoppage canceled the World Series for the first time since 1904. As a result, Montreal's place in history never was left incomplete. No one will ever know for certain how good these guys could have been.

Montreal's success led to a MLB best 74 victories in 114 games (74-40). The starting rotation was led by Ken Hill (16-5, finished 2nd in Cy Young) and a young Pedro Martinez (11-5). Jeff Fassero (8-6), Butch Henry (8-3) & Kurt Rueter (7-3) rounded out the staff. A flame throwing bullpen provided near lights out relief. John Wettleland (25 saves), Mel Rojas (16 saves), Jeff Shaw, Tim Scott and Gil Heredia were called on often to protect Expos leads. Expos pitchers posted NL best 3.56 ERA, fewest free passes (288) & top of the heap 1.214 WHIP.

Montreal took care of business on offense. 2nd in team average, 3rd in runs and hits. Larry Walker and Moises Alou swung big sticks in a lineup including Darrin Fletcher (C), Cliff Floyd (1B), Mike Lansing (2B), Wil Cordero (SS), Sean Berry (3B) & Marquis Grissom (CF). How many of those names are remembered out there? They weren't head turners but proved to have valuable careers nonetheless.

Manager extraordinaire Felipe Alou skills transformed a so-so club into a winning contender soon after taking the reigns midway through the 1992 season. After the strike ended, so did Expos success. Alou's top guns were either traded away or lost to free agency. Montreal's winning ways soon turned into struggling seasons before the franchise moved to Washington in 2005.

1994 Expos thrilled local fans while frustrating opponents. We'll never know how good they truly were. Or, if they could have held off division rival pitching rich Atlanta Braves for the NL East crown? Some may argue for or against their potential greatness. Baseball's strike of 1994 left many questions unanswered and prematurely ended the best season in Montreal Expos history.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Every single game has playoff implications. Nearly all teams are technically alive in the playoff hunt. Some on life support. Some growing stronger. A few game of the week type matchups to watch. Jets @ Bears could be a Super Preview. It's going to be a hard hitting, bone bruising game. Banged up Indy travels to rejuvenated Oakland. Both in must win situations and defenses prone to giving up big plays. Giants @ Packers in frigid December conditions. Giants coming off embarrassing defeat at home to Vick's Eagles. Pack might be without Rodgers once again. Loser probably goes home. New Orleans @ Atlanta could be an NFC Championship game preview. Big test for the Falcons. Great Monday Night Football game for the fans.

And let me not forget to thank the NFL and NFL Network for dropping a Christmas Day lump of coal to viewers in New York. We're blacked out from watching thanks to NFL vs Cablevision dispute. We've never been offered games on NFL Network. Insulting the league would even contemplate a blackout anywhere on such a festive day! PENALTY! NFL - 15 YARDS UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT!

Time to pick the winners and losers. Nine correct thrown darts brings the season tally to 124-93.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The New York Giants (9-5) played strong football for a little more than 3 and 1/2 quarters this afternoon against Michael Vick's Philadelphia Eagles. During the week Giants pass rusher Justin Tuck vowed the team would "finish" without any let downs. Today, New York led Philadelphia 31-10 with 8:17 to go. One mistake after another... after another... and yet, another... led to the final mistake and 38-31 loss as time expired. "The Miracle in the New Meadowlands" was pulled off again by Philadelphia.

Players, assistant coaches and head coach Coughin all contributed to the newest Giants meltdown vs the Eagles. At stake was the NFC East division title. A win would have put the Giants in control of their own destiny at 10-4. A potential to win a much desired first round playoff bye loomed in the picture. It wasn't to be and "The Miracle at the New Meadowlands was born"

For those of you old enough to remember November 19, 1978 ... it's remembered by Giants fans as "The Pisarcik Fumble" and by Eagles fans as "The Miracle in the Meadowlands". All the Giants had to do to secure victory was for QB Joe Pisarcik to take a knee and run out the game clock. Instead he tried a handoff, fumbled, Eagles recovered and ran it in for a game winning touchdown. Today's game ended very differently but the result was the same. Another giveaway by the Giants.

Michael Vick ran for over 100 yards during Philadelphia's final two drives. With Philadelphia down by 14 points, they tried an onside kick. Apparently, the only people in attendance who didn't it with just over 5 minutes remaining were Giants coaches and special teams players. Philly recovered the kick setting up another score. Giants gave the ball back to Vick after 3 weak plays. Eagles tied it with 1:16 remaining.

Ultimate buffoonery rests inside New York's punters brain as time was running out in regulation. He was told by everyone on the sidelines (coaches and players) to punt the football out of bounds. Doing so would let time expire setting up a sudden death overtime showdown. So what does their rookie punter do? He kicks it right down the middle of the field to Eagles returner DeSean Jackson. 65 yards later the game was over. Implosion completed. NFC East lost. Eagles celebrate. Giants remain in stunned disbelief.

“I’ve never been around anything like this in my life,’’ Tom Coughlin said afterward. “It’s about as empty as you get to feel in this business, right there.’’

How quickly things change. In a New York minute the Giants went from being in 1st place to now fighting for their playoff survival. The road to the Super Bowl just got a lot longer. Rebounding from a home loss with so much at stake will not be easy. New York papers and local sports radio quick to sack coach Coughlin's and team. Defensive schemes invited and set the stage for big plays by Eagles offense. Giants offense went to sleep and couldn't make essential first downs. Special teams failed to defend an onside kick and brain blip by punter who failed to kick out of bounds. Fans want heads on a platter.

To make matters worse, New York put their divisional arch rival Philadelphia Eagles in the driver's seat. Philly's now squarely focused on winning home field advantage. These guys have the firepower to go all the way. The battle for NFL supremacy is wide open. Giants fumbled away NFC East.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Metrodome roof collapses. Brett Favre became the second iron man to have his streak broken in Detroit. So did Lou Gehrig. Week 14 was filled with highlight reel moments. Some better than others. Washington lost on a bad extra point snap. Oakland went to sleep after tying Jacksonville. Aaron Rodgers was KO'd by Detroit and Green Bay lost 7-3. Running backs ruled... Torain rumbled for 172 yards, Stewart 133, McFadden 128, Hightower 148, McCoy 149.

Playoff pressure intensifying week to week. Suddenly, the self proclaimed Super Bowl Jets can't score or win. Defense no longer making big plays and QB Sanchez is completely out of rhythm. Division foe New England is firing on all cylinders. Tom Brady is clearly the leagues player of the year. Over in the NFC it's possible a 10 win team will be sitting home when playoffs begin games on tv while a NFC West team wins their division with a losing record. It's been an anything can happen season.

Major League free agent news stole headlines this week. Philadelphia Phillies snatched up coveted starting pitcher Cliff Lee leaving fans in New York and Texas stunned. Yankees fans shouldn't be surprised. I don't think the Yanks ever had a shot at landing Lee. Instead, he probably used the millions offered by New York as leverage for a better deal elsewhere. Texas fans are feeling stiffed. Perhaps they were a bit naive by believing Lee was coming back if he declined Yankee millions. Hats off to the Phillies for sneaking in at the last minute. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. All or relatively young. Phils have them all locked up for another 3 seasons. Phils clearly the NL's top team. At least on paper.

Dolphins vs Jets game produced queasy results for New York's Coach Ryan. QB Sanchez has been horrific of late after very positive results. He looks hesitant, lost and shaken after the Patriots destroyed team confidence during a 45-3 thrashing on MNF two weeks ago. Jets offense has been grounded. No touchdowns since November 25th. Next up Pittsburgh. Good luck. Jets have been under fire ever since their strength and conditioning coach, Sal Alosi, intentionally tripped Miami Dolphins special teams gunner Nolan Carroll. Replays clearly show Alosi sticking his knee in the path of Carroll who subsequently became injured. It's now been discovered, Alosi had instructed Jets players to stand toe to toe forming a human wall. There's nothing wrong with a wall unless someone intentionally interferes with game play. Alosi has been suspended and fined by the Jets. NFL officials may or may not take action. Considering the deliberate nature of this episode the NFL will be compelled to take action.

Brett Favre's final season has been anything but enjoyable for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Team struggling, coach fired, turmoil and on Monday night.... Favre's NFL record 297 consecutive game starts ended due to injury. Favre's played injured most of 2010. However, a big time sack two weeks ago left his shoulder weakened and numb. It's doubtful Favre will play again this year unless it's simply to take a curtain call before hanging up his spikes forever. Favre joins a long list of retiring players who couldn't pull off one more magical season.

Minnesota's Metrodome will not be ready for play after caving from snow. Vikings will host next Monday's game in University of Minnesota's out door facility. Football outside in Minnesota. They way the game was meant to be played. Is anyone out there old enough to remember when the Vikings played all of their games in natural conditions during the Bud Grant era? Purple People Eaters? Tarkington to Rashad? Chuck Foreman? Those were the Vikings glory days.

Living up to hype is always difficult. Philadelphia management should be commended on pulling off this stunner of a move. All eyes were sharply focused on New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers as front line contenders to sign baseball's most coveted 2011 free agent. I'm not surprised at all by his decision to spurn New York after the vicious treatment bestowed upon his wife at Yankee Stadium during the ALCS. Texans staying up late Monday night were hit hardest. Rangers fans heard the news of Lee turning down the Yankees multi-year multi-million dollar offer and started celebrating prematurely. They were certain Lee was about to return for another season in Arlington. Moments later the news of Lee to Philadelphia hit the airwaves. Rangers fans are in a state of disbelief. Phillies fans will be celebrating for a long time to come.

Will the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies dominate baseball behind their star studded rotation? Next moves better be to settle a very erratic bullpen. Once accomplished, the Phillies will have a legitimate shot of four 20-game winners. 110+ wins seems well within reach. 115? 120? Don't forget about their potent lineup and solid all around defense.

Dynasties are created over years. Phillies have been NL East champs four years running. Two time NL champs. One World Series. They've just locked up the East for another 3 years in my book. Plenty of minor league talent on the rise. Trade-able players on the major league roster. These guys are clearly in the drivers seat able to maneuver through most hiccups teams normally encounter during a season.

It's Philadelphia's time. How will they be remembered in baseball history? As a dynasty of the early 2000's? Or, as what could have been if...?

Monday, December 13, 2010

NBA
San Antonio (20-3) has the early season hot hand in the West. Dallas (19-4) is right on their trail. Its' been the Amare Stoudemire show on Broadway leading the Knicks (16-9) to 8 consecutive victories. Carmelo Anthony is pressing to become a Knick by disclosing intentions not to sign a lucrative $65M extension unless he's traded to New York. NBA has been action filled in 2010. Here's how they rank thru Sunday's games.

NHL
NHL's worst team? Is there any doubt? No. New York Islanders (5-17-5) own this unfortunate distinction. New York lost out in a bid for a new arena. Front office is and has been one of the league's worst for years. As bad as things are for Islanders fans, Devils fans are perplexed to find their team only 3 points ahead of NY.

On the bright side. Pittsburgh (21-8-2) is the only 20 game winner so far after beginning the season 6-7-1. Sidney Crosby (Pit) leads all NHL point scorers (51) and goals (26).

NFL
It's official. Brett Favre's NFL record 297 consecutive game streak is over! It's been a miserable season in Minnesota. Coach fired, team struggling, players hurt and Vikings losing more than they win. Favre's final NFL is not quite what Minnesota fans wished for after their team came within a couple of plays of advancing to last year's Super Bowl.

Winter weather crippled the northwest over the weekend. Giants plane was diverted away from Minnesota due to a blinding blizzard. Making matters worse, the Metrodome roof caved in from immense weight of snow(video)The game was canceled and rescheduled for play tonight at 7:20 pm in Detroit.

The playoff picture is cloudy. Many teams are in the hunt with only three games to go. Huge divisional battles looming in upcoming games.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Baseball in Boston has quickly become a hot topic. GM Theo Epstein is one of the games best. He weaved a little magic and waived big bucks to bulk up the Red Sox with two of baseball's brightest stars. First, Boston traded for Padres first-baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Next up, take aim at Carl Crawford who recently spent time with Yankees GM Brian Cashman. A soon to be announced $140M contract instantly transforms Boston's lineup into a serious juggernaut. Cashman was even quoted as saying "Great move. Great player." The most important factor is Gonzalez (28) enters his prime baseball years. For the first time he now has solid lineup protection. Imagine the stats he'll register in AL East hitter friendly parks. Crawford is in his prime. Epstein locked up 2 premier players for years to come. Yanks are offering Lee a mega deal. It's anyone's guess where he'll pitch. If Boston stretches its' piggy bank???

There's one player not many are taking notice of due to the flurry of recent activity. In the midst of Dunn signing with White Sox, Pena now a Cub, Hardy traded to Baltimore, Uggla in Atlanta, Gonzalez, Crawford... here's a move which might shift AL East balance this year. Catcher Russell Martin. Boston let Martinez go to free up free agent cash. Varitek is a fan favorite but is relegated to backup duties and Jarrod Saltalamacchia isn't a producer. Martin is a perfect fit in Fenway. Boston would also handicap the Yankees. Yanks want to play it safe by landing Martin. Posada is the new DH and Girardi must be a bit nervous handing the catching duties to a rookie in '11. Martin is a good fit for the Yanks and others. Expect a Yankees vs Red Sox free agent war to erupt at any moment. Yanks desperately need pitching. What will they do if Lee spurns a mega deal to play for his favorite team? I'd bet he picks a team before Sunday.

Boston and New York aren't the only East teams getting busy. A chess match is in progress. Questions surround Tampa in my mind. A great club playing winning baseball could barely draw fans to home games until late last season. It's going to hurt their spending power as evidenced by Crawford's departure. Curious eye should pay attention to see how they respond to a significant divisional power shift. Baltimore is quietly solidifying their underachieving club. A healthy J.J. Hardy couldn't have landed in a better short porch division for putting up some nice power numbers. Brendan Harris was part of the deal too as the O's try plugging a few gaps. Toronto has a new manager. John Farrell takes over as Blue Jays skipper replacing everyone's favorite, Cito Gaston. Jays will probably spend wisely, not wildly.

AL East baseball is heating up in dead of winter!

Boston clear early winners acquiring rising stars. Yankees busy re-signing aging veterans. Tampa hoping pitching prevails. Baltimore and Toronto sharing Cinderella status. Stay tuned for breaking free agent announcements... it's going to be a busy few weeks of player signings. No one wants to get left out in the cold like last season. Plenty of careers came to screeching halts in the winter of 2009. Can you guess (remember) their names? Didn't think so.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

45-3. So much for what was billed as the game of the year. Like I've preached thousands of times. Games are won and lost on the field of play, not by comparisons made on paper. Jets were dealt humble pie by the mighty Patriots. No game of the year match-ups this weekend. However, a select few games worth mentioning.

AFC South leading Jacksonville (7-5) hosts AFC West wannabee Oakland Raiders (6-6). It's a key game for both teams fighting for playoffs.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

It was billed as the NFL game of the year. A pair of 9-2 teams battling live on Monday Night Football. National audience. Two great teams. New York Jets coach Ryan has promised a Super Bowl. Promised a big night where his better Jets team would beat a better Patriots coach and QB. Yeah right. New England gave the Jets a firm Pat down. Bill Belichick, Tom Brady & Co. completely destroyed New York 45-3 and the game wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates. It looked more like a 100-0 shellacking.
So, here's the question. If the Jets aren't the best NFL team then who is? Atlanta (10-2)? New Orleans (9-3)? Patriots (10-2)? Pittsburgh (9-3)? Let's take a look as rankings take on a new look....

Get ready for the BCS National Championship Game for all the marbles. Next month (January 10) Auburn and Oregon meet to determine the 2010 NCAA Football champion. Personally, I can't stand a one month layoff before a title game. It's simply ridiculous & without merit. Championship games used to be scheduled around New Year's Day. Then, thanks largely to Bowl and television revenues, the big game was moved back. My suggestion is either end the season later or move Bowl games to within two weeks of regular season completion.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Let's begin in the world of baseball. Curious question for general managers. Why isn't Adam Dunn one of the most sought after sluggers in the game? Here's a guy who averages 40 HR, .400 OBA year after year. His name is tossed around in trade rumor after trade rumor come deadline time and he's never gets dealt. All was relatively quiet during his free agent years too. Not many teams seemed openly interested in signing one of the games most consistent sluggers. Until now. The Chicago White Sox stepped up to the plate and signed a much needed offensive weapon. Perhaps his presence can wake up an underachieving batting order? Great move by the White Sox. If they re-sign Konerko then Chicago has a serious 1-2 power tandem heading into 2011.

Speaking of signings... there's a rumor Boston Red Sox made a serious run at signing Mariano Rivera. Yep, that's right. Boston made a move on Rivera. It wasn't to be as Rivera is about to re-sign in New York. Derek Jeter vs Yankees back and forth public negotiations, or should I say insults, have simmered. Latest rumors suggesting Jeter and Yanks found common ground somewhere in the 4 year $20M per season. Official numbers/years haven't been publicly released. Now, let's see how aggressive New York becomes chasing after Cliff Lee.

Here's an eye opening tidbit of trade rumors. Padres to send Adrian Gonzalez to Boston? Boston has been dangling top minor league prospects. Gonzalez shifting to a hitters park division with lineup protection for the first time ever will certainly a strong incentive for wanting a trade. Especially for a player just about ready to begin prime time playing years. Boston is coveting Jason Worth and Carl Crawford too. How quickly things can change. Now it's understandable how easy it was for Boston to part with Victor Martinez (signed by Detroit earlier this week). If Beltre doesn't come back then Boston has plenty of wheeling dealing cash to make serious bids at free agents and talented minor leaguers dangled as trade bait. Boston smells an opportunity. Tampa is cost cutting. Yanks pitching staff in shambles and ownership straddled with big deals on aging players. It's a ripe time for Sox brass to load up and run away with the East in '11.

Sad news this week. Legendary Chicago Cubs 3B Ron Santo (70) died this week. Without question, not only was Santo one of the biggest Cubs names in history, he was also their biggest fan. No person seems to have an intelligent answer as to why Ron Santo was never voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's one of the most baffling non-selections in baseball history. What's even more shocking is the Veterans Committee never enshrined him either! What gives. Santo was a defensive gem, one of the highest 3B at getting on base, solid contributor year in and year out. Santo did it all while battling diabetes too. One of Santo's greatest dreams in life, same with millions of other fans from Chicago, was to watch the Cubs win the World Series. R.I.P. Mr Santo. One of baseball's good guys.

Shifting gears to NFL stuff. How about those Eagles and Michael Vick? Vick is well deserving of serious MVP consideration. Without any doubt Vick is the clear Comeback Player of the Year. How does one defense his skills? Lightning quick reflexes and instant ability to shift into high speed. Rocket arm. Every one can clearly see Philadelphia is a Super Bowl contender with Vick as starting QB.

Speaking of contenders. NFC has a few names and Vick's former team is one of them. Atlanta has been a solid team all season. Efficient and effective running, passing and defensive schemes earned the Falcons NFC's top record (9-2). They don't dominate any one area on the field but their team balance makes them a legitimate force.

Monday Night Football hosts the game of the year when two hated rivals strap it on in Foxboro. Jets (9-2) vs Patriots (9-2). Winner takes hold of the AFC East. New York won the first match-up back in game 2, 28-14. Jets defense lost signal calling SS Jim Leonhard for the year during Thursday's practice. Tom Brady might be licking his chops now anticipating an opportunity to carve up a stunned defensive unit. Coach Bilichek has been at his best in 2010. Monday night's game is sure to be a hard hitting, in your face, fight for every inch kind of contest. Let's hope the game lives up to its' hype!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

What a wild and wacky ride its' been for NFL players and fans. NFC West teams all have losing records. Rams (5-6) & Seahawks (5-6) are tied in the leagues weakest division. Stumbling 49ers are only 1 game back. On the opposite end of the spectrum, New York Jets & New England Patriots remain tied for AFC East lead (9-2). They'll go toe to toe, hit for hit, this Monday night in Foxboro. Cincinnati was expected to challenge after a solid 2009. Instead, they're 2-9 tied for AFC's worst record.

Time for Week 13 predictions. I've rebounded of late after a not so hot 1st half of picking. 11-5 last week increases season total W-L to 92-77. All teams facing must win weekend even if just to save face. Picking time (home team in CAPS).

Monday, November 29, 2010

One week to go. Football ranking grumblings are beginning. Auburn moves up to BCS #1. Oregon continues it's hold on AP #1. "Digger's Daily" keeps saying it's Auburn. Final weekend games to determine who gets the regular season top slot. Auburn edged then #11 Alabama this past Saturday 28-27. Next up, #19 South Carolina (9-3) in front of Georgia Dome fans. Back on October 9th, the Gamecocks ended Alabama's dreams of a national championship knocking of the then #1 team 35-21. Oregon closes out their regular season on the road vs rival Oregon State (5-6). It's been a mixed bag of a year for OSU. This will be their sixth game vs top 20 ranked teams. Wouldn't it be something if both Auburn and Oregon lost? Now, that would throw the entire ranking system into a tilt mode!

Why is nobody talking of TCU (12-0)? Where will they land in bowl selections? Is TCU, season completed, an automatic #1 if Auburn and Oregon lose? One step at a time. We'll soon see what happens next weekend.

2010-11 College hoops have begun. This season's top 10 battle promises to be quite a show all year long. Future coverage and guest college blogger's soon to follow. For now, here's an abbreviated top 5 list. Way too early to go much deeper on the heels of just one week of games.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Donating my crystal ball to the Atlantic Ocean worked! 11-5 last week improves our season record to 81-72. Not great but getting better. NFL teams struggling to find winning ways don't have much time left in the season to right their ships. Several teams expected to challenge haven't lived up to pre-season hype. San Diego is coming on strong. Winners of 3 straight after beginning 2-5. Second half surges seem to be the norm for the Chargers. MVP race is up for grabs. My front runners are Vick (Phi), Rivers (SD), Foster (Hou), White (Atl), Brady (NE), Rodgers (GB).

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Doesn't every sports season seem to keep getting better from year to year? Intensity has never been higher all sports venues. College and Pro Football teams fighting for every inch. NBA & NHL teams adjusting to early season successes, failures and costly roster injuries. Baseball news making waves as well. "All World All Sports" Power Rankings (Top 10)

NFL
Add Minnesota to the list of coaching changes. Childress is out. Defensive Coordinator Frazier takes over for under performing 3-7 Vikes. Giants (6-4) handed another game away and lost another offensive weapon (WR Nicks, 3 weeks). Eli Manning has been careless with the football in all New York losses. Philadelphia (7-3) climbs the power ranking charts. Michael Vick is a human highlight reel. Watch out for this team when January rolls around. Eagles suddenly looking Super. Jets (8-2) continue Super trash talk after another tough victory (30-27). Last minute heroics have become the norm and confidence has never been higher in the Meadlowlands. Everything is clicking in Atlanta (8-2). Look out Dan Marino. Another record could fall this season. Chargers (5-5) Rivers is having an MVP style season for injury depleted San Diego. He's taking dead aim at Marino's single season passing yards record of 5,084 (Rivers has 3,177). Kansas City and Tampa Bay are for real. They're taking advantage of early soft schedules. KC has it easier on paper. TB's test of true mettle comes soon enough. Either way, these teams have had a successful rebounding year.

NCAA
Oregon seems to be everyone's #1. So why have I consistently ranked Auburn higher? Strength of schedule. Auburn's remaining games vs #11 Alabama & #18 South Carolina will not be easy. This marks 5 games vs top 20 teams.
Only 4 undefeated college teams remain (Auburn, Oregon, Boise State, TCU). Bowl match-ups far from determined in this anything can happen season. Two weeks remain in the regular season. Intensity increasing by the play.

NBA
Injuries are beginning to creep up. Miami is without Haslem. Celtics Rondo's gimpy. Houston lost Ming. Has anyone been watching Spurs games? They're streaking. 11 in a row! It's been a complete team effort. In my view, NBA has 3 categories of teams. Great, strong and give it up. We're barely 15 games into the young season and the standings have split quickly. Upper teams will jockey for positioning all year as fading teams attempt their best floating techniques.

NHL
New York Islanders fans suffering again. Teased into believing 2010-11 was to be Cinderella-like after beginning 4-1-2. 13 straight defeats cured illusions, or should I say, delusions? New Jersey & Edmonton have looked terrible. Most other teams seem to be playing competitive hockey. Consistency missing? Or, it is league balance from team to team?

MLB
Joey Votto NL MVP. Ron Gardenhire (AL), Bud Black (NL) Managers of the Year. Felix Hernandez (AL) & Roy Halladay (NL) Cy Young Award winners. AL MVP announced later today. I'm in agreement with all but one. Bud Black's team collapsed in September after leading the NL West for most of the year. Dusty Baker held together a young team who stunned everyone outside of Cincinnati to win the Central.
Yanks vs Jeter in contract negotiations has been front page sports fodder. Yanks not winning any PR wars. Across town rival Mets announced new GM Alderson. In a buddy system type of move, Mets hired Terry Collins as new manager. This move needs to work out. Priority number one must now be to sign the perfect player for CitiField. Carl Crawford. Mets will be biggest off season free agent losers if Crawford isn't #1 target. Why is it no team aggressively pursues Adam Dunn? Do teams not want a 40 homer, .400 OBA player? Free agent frenzy news to start picking up steam as 2010 barrels towards December 31st. Power ranking baseball teams is a bit meaningless when so many personnel uncertainties remain questions of the day for most teams.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Football in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium's football venue kicks off November 20 when Notre Dame and Army renew their old rivalry. This will be the 50th meeting between the two schools with Notre Dame leading the series, 37-8-1. The two schools met 21 times between 1925-46 at the old Yankee Stadium, where the Irish held a 14-5-3 advantage in the series.

New Yankee Stadium is a gem. A perfect place for more than baseball. Bowl games will soon return to New York too. Get ready for "Pinstripe Bowl" games. This contest, featuring teams from the Big East and Big 12, will mark the first NCAA football bowl game in the Bronx since the Gotham Bowl on Dec. 15, 1962, when the Nebraska Cornhuskers edged the Miami Hurricanes, 36-34, at the original Yankee Stadium.

Long overdue tradition returns to the Big Apple 48 years later. Hats off to New York and the Yankees hierarchy for winning over NCAA officials. A great national stage for regular season and bowl games. Notre Dame vs Army kickoff on Saturday will showcase Yankee Stadium's football capabilities while two long time foes go toe to toe. Yankee brass is certainly busy entertaining possibilities of extending their lineup. Old Yankee Stadium's hosted heavy weight boxing championships, The Pope, summer camps, rock stars, movie productions. Safe bet Yankee Stadium's doors will continue expanding their tradition rich ways. Another home run!

What happened to NFL kickers this past weekend? Miss after miss. Shank after shank. Don't be surprised when head coaches announce roster changes. NFL special team units have been shaky. Blocked punts. Dropped snaps. Shanks. It's becoming an epidemic.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Baseball's Gold Glove winners spark debate. Derek Jeter led all qualifying MLB short stops with a .989 fielding percentage. Naysayers suggest Jeter doesn't get to enough balls. His range is only mediocre. He's a Yankee. He wins because he's a good hitter. It's a popularity contest. List all the reasons you want to debunk players and coaches selection of Derek Jeter as a Gold Glove winner. Valid arguments can be made. One glaring omission hasn't been mentioned when criticizing the Yankees captain. The cold hard fact is Jeter made only 6 errors all season playing one of the most demanding infield positions. This alone more than qualifies and validates Jeter's selection. Many seem to forget the Gold Glove Award is for exceptional defensive play by ballplayer's making less errors than their counterparts.

Not even a New Meadowlands Stadium blackout was enough to wake up the New York Giants yesterday. Arch rival Dallas, and their new head coach Jason Garrett, carved up the Giants 33-20. New York was a heavy favorite to beat up on underachieving Dallas. It was not to be. Dallas ripped New York all game long. Giants defense never showed up. Here's a team which had 9 first half sacks a few weeks ago. They barely even tried attacking backup QB Kitna. Kitna converted one big play after another. Let this be a wake up call to Giants players. Game are won on the field.

Brett Favre or Ray Childress. Who's to blame in Minnesota? Coach? Players? Ownership? Everyone. Minnesota seems to be sleepwalking in 2010. A great defense has been marginalized. An explosive offense can't consistently move the ball and score. Favre's mistakes magnified. There's been plenty of Favre mistakes from forced throws turning into interceptions to fumbles when scrambling away from defenders. 2010 reminds me of Favre's early years. Certainly a player of Favre's experience and on field intelligence should know when to throw a ball away instead of trying to force plays. Minnesota's offense has provided plenty of momentum for opposition to feast on. Yes, it's a banged up team. 2010 is Favre's last. As a betting man, it's time to can the head coach too. Way too much talent on this squad for the Vikes to be playing so poorly. Play calling isn't helping matters either.

New York Islanders fired another head coach. Yawn. Hockey's perennial losers never improve. Front office is the pits. Highly publicized draft picks quickly become busts. Here's a team in desperate need of a no nonsense coach. Al Arbour is the only coach in team history to get solid results. Islanders posted just four winning seasons since 1993-94. New York is s team stuck in reverse. Ownership has been unsuccessful attempting to secure a new arena. Any wonder why?

New Orleans Hornets (9-0) NBA's best team? Or, just sporting the best record for now? All the hype heading into 2010 surrounded Miami's super trio, Lakers chances of repeating and which team will get Melo? New Orleans is for real. It's been a total team effor tfrom starters to role players off the bench. Ball movement has been tremendous. Defensive plays timely. Coaching moves all paying off. Hornets on a great early season roll out of the gates. Let's see how long they keep it going.

Baseball's free agent signings aren't quite as frenzied as many anticipated. Cliff Lee sweepstakes remain calm and free of wild rumors. Carl Crawford suitors remaining relatively silent. Yankees seem intent on securing core players first before rattling sports section headlines. Mets still searching for a new field manager. Red Sox contemplating future direction of club. General Managers play the waiting game. Who will be the first to venture into the waters?

Super Bowl contenders? Only a few in my book at the moment. There's plenty of season to go. NFC - Giants, Green Bay & New Orleans top my list of potential reps. AFC is a crowed picture. Any one of the following will represent AFC - Jets, Steelers, Patriots, Ravens & Colts.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Here comes Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network. At least one game will be played on Thursday's every week from now until Week 17. Good luck catching games in blacked out areas. Baltimore visits Atlanta tonight in a battle of 6-2 teams. Jason Garrett debuts as Cowboys head coach vs red hot division rival New York Giants. Four banged up teams welcome the bye week to heal.

Predictions improved last weekend. 9-4 brings the season total to 66-58.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Big names entering Major League Baseball's free agency lists. 2010 season recently completed. No rest for the weary. Teams are getting busy planning for 2011.
-New York Mets wasting no time changing directions. GM Omar Moniya and Mgr Manuel are gone. Mets hired Sandy Alderson as new GM. Rebuilding New York is no easy task. Alderson has a great baseball resume. Job one will be finding a legit field manager. Step two, build a team from bottom on up.
-Yankees will dominate Cliff Lee rumors. Theory is no team can keep up with Yanks free wielding cash power. Lee's expected to become the most sought after free agent this winter. Buyer beware not to over extend lengthy contracts.
-How much will Yankees over pay captain Derek Jeter? Jeter's fabulous career is nearing an end. He had an off year hitting (.270) but did earn his 5th Gold Glove thanks to a .989 fielding percentage. It's a must to resign the most popular player in New York. Just don't over pay for a player who wants to remain a Yankee no matter what.
-What will the Boston Red Sox do? Last year, they slashed free agent payroll concentrating on building a tremendous defensive club. It didn't work out as injuries too a serious toll all season long. AL MVP candidate 3B Adrian Beltre probably won't be back. Big mistake as it will be hard replacing him even if Youkilis moves from 1st to 3rd. Phils Worth has been rumored as a must sign in Boston.
-Ichiro Suzuki tied an AL record with his 10th Gold Glove. Ichiro has won Glove Gloves in all of his 10 MLB seasons since bringing his star power from Japan. 10 consecutive .300 seasons, 200+ hits, 10 Gold Gloves, .331 lifetime batting average. No too shabby, eh?
-George Steinbrenner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame? Perhaps. Boss George is officially listed on Veterans Committee HOF ballots. George's career is a mixed bag when it comes to HOF consideration. His star shines brightly now. But, it wasn't always rosey. Suspended by MLB in 1974 for illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon. Banned permanently in 1990 (reinstated 1993) from day to day Yankees operations for the Dave Winfield fiasco when Boss hired a gambler to dig up dirt on Winfield. He's not a first timer by Hall standards. Many will argue these misdeeds void consideration. Time will tell.

NFL season is topsy-turvy. Teams expected to win stumble. Teams thought to be big time losers are winning.
-Jerry Jones new billion dollar Cowboys Stadium will host the Super Bowl. Jones pumped millions into players salaries trying to build a championship caliber team. Many prognosticators took the bait and predicted Dallas to be playing in the Super Bowl at home. They're 1-7 and finally fired inept coach Wade Phillips. Jones ran out of excuses. He's apologized, cried and stood by Phillips through thick and thin. Monday night's 45-7 loss to Green Bay wasn't nearly as close as the score leads one to believe (felt more like 100-0).
-All pre-season talk in NY centered on the Jets. Well, many think the Giants (6-2) are NFL's best team. New York newspapers were calling for coach Coughlin's head after beginning the year 1-2. They're now singing praises after 5 consecutive monster victories.
-Brett Favre and Minnesota saved their season for at least another week after a come from behind OT win vs Arizona. At 3-5, the Vikes have a long way to go but a win like this could turn around a season in trouble. So much for my no brainer to force sit Favre in last installment of "In Case You Missed It..." (10/29/10).
-Kansas City (5-3) and Oakland (5-4) lead the AFC West. Talk about surprises. San Diego (4-5) is off to another slow beginning but are right in the thick of it.
-San Diego QB Philip Rivers to break Dan Marino's single season passing record? Could be. Rivers is way ahead of Marino's 1984 pace. SD's QB averages 327 passing yards per game. If Rivers keeps it up he'll finish with 5,232 yards shattering Marino's record of 5,084. Chargers offense has become pass first. Two banged up rookie running backs has coach Turner calling more and more passing plays puts Rivers chances front and center.
-NFL mid-season MVP? Nobody. Plenty of deserving players. No clear cut stand outs. A few MVP types on my radar (in no particular order): Eli Manning (NYG), Philip Rivers (SD), Arian Foster (HOU), Ahmad Bradshaw( NYG), Rachard Mendenhall (PIT), Jamaal Charles (KC), Roddy White (ATL), Aaron Rodgers (GB), Matt Ryan (ATL), Antonio Gates (SD), Hakeem Nicks (NYG), Adrian Peterson (NYG), Clay Matthews (GB).

Two undefeated NBA teams remain. Defending champion Lakers (7-0) and New Orleans Hornets (6-0). 2010-11 could produce the most 60 game winners in league history. My potential 60 gamers: Lakers, Celtics, Magic, Hornets, Thunder, Hawks, Spurs, Mavs. If this turns out to be true then expect quite a few 60 losers: Raptors, Bobcats, Clippers, Timberwolves, Wizards, 76ers, Nets.
-The hyped big 3 of Wade, James & Bosh are starting to gel. James (20.7) and Bosh (14.4) enjoy winning but seem to be having a tough time adjusting to sub-career statistical inputs. James poured in nearly 30/game (29.7) last year. Bosh was good for 24/game. Wade & James have done it all. Bosh struggles to contribute on offense.
-Experts were quick to pick Miami and Orlando as favorites to win the East. My money resides with Boston. Celtics are deep at all positions. Pierce, Allen, Garnett & Rondo dazzle. Hardly any weaknesses. A healthy Boston could have beaten LA. This team is on a mission.

Very few NHL surprises in the early going. Perhaps one big one. New Jersey Devils own 10 losses in 15 games.
-Boston net minder Tim Thomas is having an MVP season between the pipes. 7-0-0, 1.04.
-Lightning C Steven Stamkos is on fire. 11 goals, 11 assists in 13 games. Now if he could only teach fellow TB teammates how to score!
-Carolina C Brandon Sutter shouldn't be taking face-offs anymore. 69 wins, 137 losses (33.5%) STINKS!
-Now that's a name. New Jersey Devils LW needs two uniforms just to fit his name. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Another wild weekend of football action. College rankings have been shaken up once again. Michigan won in triple overtime 67-65. Big plays galore. The season is winding down. A select few big time rival games remain on the docket. Here's how the top 10 shakes out.

It was a highlight filled Sunday. 3 overtime games. Favre goes wild for 446 yards. Dallas is the leagues new laughingstock following their embarrassing 45-7 shellacking by Green Bay on national television. New York Giants are looking Super. Oakland is sneaking into AFC playoff contention. Jets survived a Lion scare. Buffalo fell short in their quest for victory number one. Fans were kept on seat edges all day long.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Bettors & thieves continue within Major League Baseball stadiums. Thursday's New York Daily News is reporting Mets clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels is in a heep of trouble. The Queens District Attorney's Office is conducting a formal investigation into Samuel's participation in an organized crime gambling ring.

The cardinal rule in baseball is "no betting". No formal charges have been filed to date. It's only a matter of time. Samuels is believed to have "(provided) inside information and tips for friends who also placed bets on games and for using his Mets accounts to cover gambling debts." The Mets fired him last week after an internal probe uncovered Samuels had used team bank accounts as loans to cover gambling debts. Some loans were repaid but team officials are unable to determine, at least publicly, how much remains uncollected.

The story goes deeper. Samuel was ripping off and scamming players too. The Daily News stated: "Samuels is also under scrutiny for possibly skimming money on the hotel rooms he ordered for players as the team's traveling secretary and for Mets property that went missing from the clubhouse, including hundreds of bats, balls and jerseys."

The Samuel revelations of ties to organized crime (gambling) is nothing new in New York. In 2005 "head groundskeeper Dominic Valila was one of 36 people charged by the Queens DA's office with participating in a $360 million gambling ring that had ties to the Bonanno crime family."

Samuels was a trusted man within the Mets organization. He was New York's clubhouse manager for 27 years. Now he's being described as "the spider who sat in the middle of a money web." This moron earned $80,000 in salary yet shows $600,000 in tax reported income. He violated trust bestowed upon by Mets management, players and personnel. Stealing money to cover gambling debts is disgraceful. Stealing from "friends", players and co-workers too? Get ready for the perp walk Samuels on your way to a view from behind iron bars. Unless, of course, you chooses the life of a rat in exchange for lenient sentencing.

San Francisco Giants became World Series Champs last week. This week, teams and players set their sights on 2011.

Clubs have tough re-negotiation sessions coming up highlighted by New York's soon to be publicized discussions with captain Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. The Steinbrenner kids fired the first shot warning it's business first time. It's unlikely either will have any difficulty re-signing. No one wants to rock the boat. However, it's doubtful multi-year deals will be offered.

Cliff Lee has been the most publicized of free agents. Texas is interested in resigning their star hurler. It remains to be seen how this team, recovering from bankruptcy, proceeds. Did New York fans ruin Yankees chances of signing Lee? Reports claim New Yorker's at their worst displayed pathetic behavior from beer tossing to name calling.

Starting pitchers will be the most coveted free agent prizes. To date, the list is thin. Lee is the top dog. Jon Garland, Carl Pavano, Hiroki Kuroda and Adam Harang represent the second tier.

How quickly teams begin chasing free agents is anyone's guess. Remember last year's free agent class took a long time receiving offers largely due to U.S. economic concerns. Those concerns are greater these days. However, with such a thin crop of pitchers expect teams to get busy early. Lee can write his own ticket. Where he lands is the question. Texas? New York? Boston? Atlanta? Tampa Bay? Time will tell.

Sandy Alderson is in as New York Mets new GM. He has much work to do after Omar Minaya's turbulent leadership and notorious reputation for poor signings. Which direction will New York go? Job number one is signing a new manager. This club needs a leader in the dugout. Mets haven't had an effective decision maker in years. The Carl Crawfords of the baseball world represent the type of players New York needs to chase. Power hitters will fail in CitiField. Double and triple speedsters will shine. Reyes and Crawford? Go hard after Orlando Hudson and this team sets up a great top 3 for cleanup hitter Wright. Pitching and speed is the only formula for the Mets. Anything else is a waste of time and energy.

A serious synopsis soon to follow with team by team needs and player recommendations within the coming days.

R.I.P. One of baseball's top managers passed away this week. Sparky Anderson. My all time favorite manager guided one of the most celebrated teams nicknamed "The Big Red Machine." 1970's Cincinnati Reds baseball featured Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, George Foster and Pete Rose. 1975-76 teams were considered one of the best of all time. Anderson also won the World Series guiding the 1984 Detroit Tigers. Sparky completed his 26 year career having managed 4030 games, recording 2194 wins, 1834 losses (.545) and 3 World Series titles.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The wacky and crazy NFL season continues. Tampa Bay (5-2) and Kansas City (5-2) keep on marching towards playoff dreams. Jerry Jones open apology to Cowboys (1-6) fans won't mean much without serious changes within the entire Dallas organization beginning from top down.

It didn't take the Yankees long to negotiate a deal to keep Joe Girardi as manager. Reports surfacing suggest Joe is set to receive $9 million for 3 years plus incentives. Don't expect to see any grass growing under GM Cashman's feat this off-season. Winter of 2009 was a virtual bust. New York will be busy and it begins with their skipper. Next up? Jeter? Rivera?

Speaking of busy, rumors swirling about the Yankees going hard after Cliff Lee. However, and this is a BIG however, apparently Lee's wife was heckled terribly at Yankee Stadium during the ALCS. 1970's fans must have shown up. Nasty, below the waste, New York at its' worst, greeted Lee's wife including objects thrown and obscenities hurled. Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia are close friends from their Cleveland days. CC the recruiter to the rescue? Lee will have many suitors. He'll end up playing for whoever he wants in 2011. Maybe he'll choose Boston just to get back at New York fans.

The New York Times ran a story claiming Major League Baseball strongly recommended San Francisco drop Jose Guillen from their playoff roster. The Giants claimed Guillen was nursing a neck injury. Either way, he's not on San Francisco's playoff roster. Guillen has been linked to a Federal investigation of performance enhancing drugs. Shipments of HGH (human growth hormone) were said to be shipped to Guillen's wife. Come on Jose. With spotlights everywhere looking to nail HGH users/suppliers....? This move reeks of stupidity. Fed probe breaking silence probably means a bust is imminent.

New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets are undefeated! Opening game wins for both is a nice way for two of the NBA's biggest losers of a year ago. The 70 loss Nets took down Detroit 101-98 while New York's new cast of characters snuffed out Toronto 98-93. Miami's big 3 were dealt a quick defeat by Boston on opening night 88-80. Dwayne Wade, LeBron James & Chris Bosh flamed out as Boston controlled most of the game.

World Series 2010? Any northeastern readers missing the World Series on tv? I'm one of Cablevision's hundreds of thousands blacked out from watching the Giants destroy Texas. Fox went dark on Cablevision October 16th. Effectively, this shut down NFL, NLDS & NLCS games. Throw in all their other shows and customers are miffed. We all know rates are soon to skyrocket no matter how these two corporate giants conclude their standoff. Customers to get screwed. So, why not turn on the game before the President turns you guys into political fodder? MLBN will replay games one day later. Cablevision subscribers can also watch on the internet via MLB.com for a refundable $9.99. (Side ramble) Remember the days of television antenna's? UHF? VHF? Funny how rates are screaming higher for citizens now that digital is the only way to view television. Rural communities forced to get satellite dishes or converters or new televisions altogether to comply. Taxes may or may not soon rise in our country. Government intervention is destroying savings accounts for the majority of Americans. No matter what... the cost of living is rising no matter how you slice it. Food, clothing, gas, television, cell phone providers, heat, oil, gas... and yes, tickets to your favorite sporting events!

So, what have we missed in World Series action? It's been all Giants. National League Champion San Francisco Giants 11-7 and 9-0 thrashings of American League Champion Texas Rangers. No one expected this king of offense from the Giants. Not against Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson. Hmmm. Wasn't that said of the 1954 New York Giants vs Cleveland Indians? 2010 teams are a far cry from the 1954 games but the story line back then was all about the Cleveland starting rotation. In 2010, it's been about Rangers' Cliff Lee and Josh Hamilton. Tim Lincecum, 2008 & 2009 NL Cy Young Award winner, was almost an afterthought in the backdrop of Lee's post-season success story leading into Game 1. The Giants wasted no time getting to Lee and shelling Texas' staff for 11 runs. Game 2 featured Wilson vs Cain. Cain hadn't allowed an earned run in two prior playoff starts. He shut down the Rangers for 7.2 innings. Giants bats erupted for 7 in bottom of the 8th thanks in large part to wild Rangers relievers. It's hard to imagine Texas coming back with Sanchez tossing next game. Rangers bullpen has been an absolute misery so far. After Game 2's performance confidence is thin and butterflies became birds.

The Heismann Trophy watch has picked up steam. A clear number one candidate has emerged. Auburn (8-0) QB Cameron Newton is shredding defenses. 1364 yards passing, 13 TD, QB rating 172.08. Not impressed? Throw in 1077 rushing yards (6.9 ave) and 14 more touchdowns. If you haven't caught his game then tune into ESPN2 on Saturday to watch vs Mississippi. Kellen Moore (Boise St, 6-0) has 16 TD passes (only 1 int) on 1,567 yards. There are a few other names in the mix but these two are the front runners with Newton holding a big edge right now.

Undefeated teams are getting picked off one by one. Of the top 8 ranked teams, 7 are yet to lose. Oregon (8-0), Boise St (6-0), Auburn (8-0), TCU (8-0), Michigan St (8-0), Missouri (7-0), Utah (7-0). Guess what? 4 of 7 have very tough match-ups this weekend. Will we see a major shakeup in BCS rankings again next Monday? The way football season has unfolded in both college and pro's... get ready for a new top 5.

Brett Favre has started 291 consecutive NFL games. Is this where the streak ends? 292 will be difficult. Minnesota Vikings (2-4) offense has struggled. Favre & Co. have committed many mental errors and turnovers. Brett has two breaks on his left ankle (plant foot for throwing) described as a stress fracture in the ankle as well as an avulsion fracture in the heel bone, where a fragment has been torn away by a tendon or ligament. Doctor's have given a green light for Favre to return when he wants. Minnesota needs a change of direction even if just for one game. Plus, all streaks come to an end. Irony? The streak began playing for Green Bay and might end due to a tackle by a Green Bay player. At this juncture Favre needs to think of team first. So does their head coach. Rest Favre. Allow his ankle to heal. Start capable Tarvaris Jackson and see what happens. 4 losses in 6 games with only sporadic results on offense begs for a shake up. Two broken bones in a 41 year old's ankle begs for rest from aggressive NFL defenses. If necessary, Favre can relieve for a little two minute magic. No brainer. He's got to sit.

The wacky 2010 NFL season continues. Quarterbacks beware... NY Giants defense will leave you seeing stars... and a MRI machine. Brett Favre's (injured) record starting streak appears to be over unless Minnesota does something stupid. Turbulent division races have a few long shots starting to believe they have a shot. NFC Championship Game teams Minnesota and New Orleans are in danger of missing the playoffs. Injuries taking a toll on many key players at key positions.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

All time lineup theme continues rolling along. Keep your comments flowing. They've been great to read and I've posted your team requests below. For first timers, keep in mind these lineups are mostly from my generation (1970+) with a few exceptions based on players I always wanted to watch from prior years. Most of the following have been assembled as per my favorites. Don't be surprised if a few big name players didn't make the cut. Enjoy.

What a crazy and wacky NFL season. Dallas has wasted its' way to a 1-5 beginning. Seattle, Tampa Bay and Kansas City are 4-2. Number one is not a safe place to reside in college rankings just yet. Top teams have been getting picked off all year long.

When will the Dallas Cowboys pull the trigger? Come on Mr Jones, Wade Phillips system hasn't worked. Jason Garrett is one of the NFL's worst play calling offensive coordinators. Tony Romo was probably lost for the season during Monday Night Football vs Super looking New York Giants. Minnesota has personnel decisions to make regarding banged up and mistake prone Brett Favre.

Every division is up for grabs. Upsets in the making every week. Should we even call certain losses upsets? Perennial upper echelon teams are becoming desperate to find winning formulas. Underdogs striving for respect... and winning.

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ALL WORLD ALL SPORTS BLOG - "Digger's Daily" is not a politically correct sports blog. I call it as I see it. Most of my blogs are derived from sports news of the day. You will also find items of interest from times past, predictions, fantasy player ratings, Power Rankings and more.
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